Collapsible bed



NOV. 6, 1934. R, K, MORSE 1,979,566

v GOLLAPS EBLE BED Filed Feb. l. 1933 INVENTOR REGI ALD MORSE f ATTORNEY Patented Nov. ,6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT olf-'FICE The object of my invention `is to provide `a collapsible and highly portable bed or sleeping tray for infants. It has particular utility in serving as a bed or support'for an infant when taking sun baths or a tray for supporting infants when being dressed. The device thus used is not truly a bed, but for convenience in terminology will hereinafter be referred to as a bed.

More particular objects of my invention are to provide a collapsible bed of this character, which is adapted to fold into a compact rectangular self-containing package, which bed can be set up firmly and rigidly without the aid 'of screws or other fastening devices, and a bed in which the parts are proportioned to give maximum strength and rigidity with minimum Weight.

Details of construction and the manner in which the parts are arranged in operative and inoperative position are f hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: I t

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodyingmy invention with the parts shown. set

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged View of said parts arranged in a compact package and disengaged from each other;

Fig. 3 is a View taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of one of the ends of said device; and

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammaticview illustrating the manner in which camber isinduced in the horizontal side rails of said bed to induce rigidity and stiffness in the vertical side wall members.

. My improved collapsible bed comprises a fabric base element a, which is rcarried between two longitudinally extending horizontal side members b. These side members lie at opposite sidesof the edges of said fabric base. They are secured to said edges by glue c, aswell as nails d. The glue fastens each individual strand rof the fabric firmly in place to both ofthe members b which extend along the edges of said base and thus as long as said glue adheres to the base and to the horizontal members no vsagging is permitted in the individual portions of said fabric base.l .The nails further said connection between the fabric and the horizontal members. They have additional function, however, in that they serve to clamp the two elements vmaking up each hori zontal member to said fabric to resist any force which tends to separate said members from each other and from said fabric. The glue thus is required to perform the sole function of resisting forces tending to displace the fabric. laterally from the horizontalmembers;4 The ltwo elements 'b' and b2 which make up each horizontal member are of different lengths, the element b beingsubstantially longer than the element b2 and the element b2 is notched 'at its ends to accommodate Said legs are preferably glued in said notch and lto the overlying element b and are furtherconnected to said latter element by nails f, as is shown in Fig. 3.

`The horizontal .members have ka legv at each fend and thus function `as integral structures. 'At each end'of said fabric base, and engaging the horizontal members, arel end'members g. Said end members are notchedg'as at g', and engage the extending ends of the elements b', asis shownA in when vsaid end members are' arranged in place said fabric baseistaut. iTo aid said end members in being seated plac'e,`the ends of the members b' are snipped off, or form incline surfaces, as at h, so that said end members can be wedged in. place by forcing them along said inclined snipped surfaces until they are in abutment with the ends of the horizontal member elements b2.

Vertical side members i overlie the horizontal side members b and are provided with notches z" at their ends, which engage and interlock with the notches g2 on said end members g.' The engagement Vand interlocking of said notches l' and y2, respectively, tends to prevent the outward movement of the end members g, from abut- `m'entagainst theelements b2.-.` Two spaced ties preferably are arranged to join the vertical side rmembers with the horizontal side member which it overlies. Said two ties preferably are formed by a looped flexible element 7', such Aas heavycord or tape, which passes thru the' longitudinally lspaced eyes k in `the vertical side ymembers and two vertically spaced but registering eyes k inl the horizontal members, respectively. Said loop preferably is joined by aknot and the size of the loop may be regulated by the location of the knot in said flexible element.

` The ,loops preferably areY proportioned so as to be of such small size so that when the vertical side members i are arranged with their notches z" arranged in engagement with Vthe notches; g2 in the end members g respectively, that the horizontal side members are upwardly bowed as is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5. This causes the vertical side members to be held tightly in position and induces camber in the horizontal side members. Said horizontal side members are quite flexible,'being preferably made of strips of wood, and the camber thus produced induces stiffness for said fabric base. Thus in a device made in accordance with my invention of plywood elements b and b2 a quarter of an inch thick and approximately thirty kinches long, a. weight of thirty to fifty pounds can be supported without bowing the horizontal side members downwardly and without injury to the parts. This is accomplished with a bed which weighs approximately two and one-half pounds and thus said bed is strong but portable.

The device is separated intov its elements in the.

reverse manner to that inwhich the` parts are arranged in operative position, and all `of saidy parts are joined together except the end members g. As is shown in Fig. 2, the legs e are approximately three-fourths of an inch shorter than the width of the endfmembers g. f Thus when the membersiare arrangedv as shown in Fig. 2, the ends of thelegs are `in abutment with ;the under surface ofthe opposed horizontal. side member b. and lie iiatwise y upon each other.

`The end members gare arranged so as to vlie vupon the 'edges of: saidv horizontal side members with their longitudinaledges in substantial'registration with the face of this horizontal member b oppositethe leg elements e. The Vertical side members i are arranged. upon the top ofthe end members and the entire. bundle is held .in place .by an elastic band. I at each end. The fabric ibasel is folded back upon itself severalY timesv and .-liesbetween the legs. aand. thev end members g.

The'package is thusrv formed into a solidself-contained` elongated rectangular package, which may be stored awayina smallspace, andis light. and compact `.for handling. f-The ends of. the legs .are each preferably protectedby a stripofresilient material e" '.;such,. forV example, as rubber' or leather. Such strip of material. tends to prevent fslippageland. torprotect highly finished surfaces upon which. said collapsible bed may be'placed.v

.I'claimz 1. `In a collapsible bed comprising a flexible baseyza frame. including. side members and .end members bordering said base and; leg members supportingA said frame,vsaid side memberscom- .prisingiiat elementsy separate from, and arrangedznorm'al to eachother and both detachably engaging, saidend members.. the elements of said side members. being spaced. from each other and y joined `by two portions of a looped pendent vcord arranged'fat the longitudinal middle thereof:

12...InaA collapsible.bedqcomprising a exible base, a frame including side members andr end members bordering said base and legf membersy supporting said frame, said side memberscomprising physically separated. flat elements, one of saidelements being arranged generally in a vertical planeandjanotheri arranged. in ka, horizontal plane and" bothv detachably engaging. said .end `mem`bers, theelements of said side-'members being Aspaced from eachother and'joined by twopor- `members borderingl said base and-'leg members supporting saidvframe, said side members in cluding two flat horizontal elements securing the side edges of said flexible base between them, the elements of said side members being of diierent lengths, one extending beyond the other, one member extending thru notches in said end members respectively, and another abutting against the face of said end members.

4. In a collapsible bed comprising a flexible base, a frame including side members and end members bordering said base and leg members supporting said frame, said side members including two flat horizontal elements securing the side edges of said flexible base between them, the elements of said side members being of different lengths, one extending beyond the other, one member extending thru notches in said end members respectively, and another abutting against the face of said end members, said extending members provided with inclined faces respectively, to guide said end members into abutting relationiwith the shorter elements of saidside members. f

5. Ina collapsible bed comprising a liexible base, a frame including side members and end members bordering said base and leg members supporting said frame, `said side members invIcluding two flat horizontal elements securing the side edges of said flexible base between them, the elements ofsaid side members being of different lengths, one extending beyond the other', one member extending thru notches in said end membersrespectively,` and another abutting against 4the -face lof said end members, saidr extending members provided with divergent'faces respectively to guide said .end members into. abutting relation with the shorter elements of said side members.

.'6. In a collapsible bed comprising a flexible base,.a frameincluding side members and end members bordering said base and leg members supporting said frame, said side members comprising at elements arranged normal to each other and engagingsaid end members,` the elements of said side members being spaced from .each other and joined by a pendent element arranged at the longitudinal middle thereof, the flexible element joining the elements of the side .members spacing said elements apart a distance less than thespacing of the ends thereof, thereby bowing said` horizontally arranged element toward. saidivertical element thereof.

7.In a collapsible bed comprising a flexible fabric base, a frame including side members and end members bordering said base and leg members supporting said frame, said side members .comprising flat elements, one of said elements being arranged generally in a vertical plane and another arranged in a horizontal plane and engaging said end members, the elements of said side members being spaced fromeach other and joined by a pendent element arranged at the longitudinal middle thereof, said side members including two nat elements secured to the side edges of said exible base,'being glued thereto, whereby the separate strands of said fabric base v.are individually secured to said side member elements, the elements of said side members being of different lengths, one extending beyond the other, one member extending thru notches in said end members respectively, and another abutting against the face of said end members.

A 8. In a collapsible bed, a frame comprising side and end elements, removably secured together, each side element including a pair of iiat separated longitudinal members arranged normal to each other, and each joined to the end elements, one side member extending atwise of said bed, the other arranged upright thereof, a flexible fabric base adapted to be extended taut between and secured to the side members extending flatwise of said bed, the edges of said base being secured to said side members along the middle of the edge of the latter thereby avoiding imposing twisting strains upon said side members, the upright member of said side frame elements overlying the other member of the pair, and a pendent element joining said members at their longitudinal middles, whereby the underlying side members resist the lateral strains of said base, and the overlying members resist the vertical strains imposed upon the frame sides, said members respectively being arranged edgewise to said strains, and beingseparate to facilitate the packaging of said members in compact form when said bed is collapsed.

9. In a collapsible bed, a frame comprising side and end elements, removably secured together, each side element including a pair of flat separated longitudinal members arranged normal to each other, and each joined to the end elements, one side member extending flatwise of said bed, the other arranged upright thereof, a flexible fabric base adapted to be extended taut between and secured to the side members extending flatwise of said bed, each of the side members extending flatwise of said bed including two flat boards arranged flatwise one upon the other and secured to opposite sides of an edge of said base,

the upright member of said side frame elements overlying the other member of the pair, and a pendent element joining said members at their longitudinal middles, whereby the underlying side members resist the lateral strains of said base, and the overlying members resist the vertical strains imposed upon the frame sides, said members respectively being arranged edgewise to said strains, and being separate to facilitate the packaging of said members in compact form when said bed is collapsed.

10. In a collapsible bed, a frame comprising side and end elements, removably secured together, each side element including a pair of flat separated longitudinal members arranged normal to each other, and each joined to the end elements, one side member extending flatwise of said bed, the other arranged upright thereof, a flexible fabric base adapted to be extended taut between and secured to the side members extending flatwise of said bed, the upright member of said side frame elements overlying the other member of the pair, and a pendent element joining said members at their longitudinal middle, whereby the underlying side members resist the lateral strains of said base, and the overlying members resist the vertical strains imposed upon the frame sides, said members respectively being arranged edgewise to said strains, and being separate to facilitate the packaging of said members in compact form when said bed is collapsed.

REGINALD K. MORSE. 

